ItalyField Guide
Liguria

Region

Liguria

Italy's riviera — a thin coastal strip between sea and mountains, from the Cinque Terre to Portofino to Genoa. Pesto, focaccia, and a coastline of pastel villages stacked on cliffs. Tight, expensive, and crowded in season.

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The verdict

Liguria is the coast everyone photographs: the Cinque Terre, Portofino, and the pastel villages of the Riviera di Levante. It's beautiful, narrow, and packed in summer — go shoulder season. Genoa is the underrated part: a gritty port city with the best food and the least tourists. Hike the Cinque Terre if you must, but base in Camogli or Santa Margherita to escape the worst crowds.

Why go

Cliff villages, pesto's birthplace, and a dramatic riviera between sea and mountains.

Skip if

You dislike crowds and steep steps, or you're going in August when the Cinque Terre is overwhelmed.

Where to go in Liguria

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Camogli
01

Town · Liguria

Camogli

The fishing village next to Portofino, with a harbor of tall pastel houses and a 'thousand windows' — the authentic version of the Riviera postcard, without the yachts. Worth a night.

Santa Margherita Ligure
02

Town · Liguria

Santa Margherita Ligure

The practical and elegant base for the eastern Riviera — palm-lined promenade, painted villas, and the boats to Portofino and San Fruttuoso. The place to stay, not the place to day-trip through.

Portovenere
03

Town · Liguria

Portovenere

Portovenere is worth a half-day or a night as a quieter alternative to the Cinque Terre. The cliff-edge church of San Pietro is the view. Base here and ferry to the Cinque Terre to avoid the crowds.

Genoa
04

Town · Liguria

Genoa

Genoa is worth a night and is the most underrated major city in Italy. It is gritty, grand, and maritime. Pair it with the Cinque Terre and Portovenere for a Ligurian circuit.

Things to do in Liguria

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